Since I just dip into this thread every once in a while I'm not up on everything that's been coming out. If I'm in the mood for a Privateer type game where I can buy and upgrade ships while engaging in trading or combat is X3:TC still the go-to game? I only played a few hours of X3:TC and ended up quitting in frustration as my first computer controlled ship kept crashing into space stations and destroying itself.

Since I just dip into this thread every once in a while I'm not up on everything that's been coming out. If I'm in the mood for a Privateer type game where I can buy and upgrade ships while engaging in trading or combat is X3:TC still the go-to game? I only played a few hours of X3:TC and ended up quitting in frustration as my first computer controlled ship kept crashing into space stations and destroying itself.

Other than that, I'm coming up blank on anything that truly fills the same niche but if it exists, I'm sure some of our other diehards here can tell us. Happily there are a few coming in the near future such as Chris Robert's Star Citizen but that won't really scratch your itch at the moment.

Veloxi wrote:

The latest Evochron game scratches that itch pretty well, have you played it?

There's also one of the Privateer remakes, or the original on GoG.

There are even more options if it doesn't have to be a sim. ;)

See. I totally forgot Evochron.

"When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up" - C.S. Lewis

Yes, Evochron Mercenary is fun stuff. I am still shot out of the sky far too often, but it's a great procedurally-generated Privateer-esque game with tons of ship customization, plus the all-important toggleable intertial motion a la Tachyon: The Fringe. (Sadly, it falls short of also having Bruce Campbell as the voice of the main character.)

It has been as low as $6.24 during the 2012 Summer Sale, so that should be your target. Price chart.

Since I just dip into this thread every once in a while I'm not up on everything that's been coming out. If I'm in the mood for a Privateer type game where I can buy and upgrade ships while engaging in trading or combat is X3:TC still the go-to game? I only played a few hours of X3:TC and ended up quitting in frustration as my first computer controlled ship kept crashing into space stations and destroying itself.

It's discounted on Steam for $20 until December 13. Seems described as an open world RPG-lite space sim. Those words don't paint a picture so I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on what the game actually is? What's the RPG system used? How much exploration is there?

Ewww... I wouldn't turn people away from X3 in favor of Evochron. Before anyone makes a decision like that, I'd advise them to read the X3, front-to-back first. It's an entertaining read at least.

Yeah, because reading manuals is a real good time. (seriously, I do love reading manuals, but not everyone does). Face it friend, Evochron is more approachable and accessible. In my opinion, it's also more fun.

Vector wrote:

So what's the verdict on Miner Wars 2081?

It's discounted on Steam for $20 until December 13. Seems described as an open world RPG-lite space sim. Those words don't paint a picture so I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on what the game actually is? What's the RPG system used? How much exploration is there?

I got the beta like, 2 years ago, and have played it on and off since. It's gotten pretty mature in that time. The last time I played it, a few weeks ago, had crazy-ass missions and everything. I need to play more, but I'm enjoying what little I have played, and think it has potential.

It's discounted on Steam for $20 until December 13. Seems described as an open world RPG-lite space sim. Those words don't paint a picture so I was wondering if anyone can shed some light on what the game actually is? What's the RPG system used? How much exploration is there?

I got the beta like, 2 years ago, and have played it on and off since. It's gotten pretty mature in that time. The last time I played it, a few weeks ago, had crazy-ass missions and everything. I need to play more, but I'm enjoying what little I have played, and think it has potential.

But what is it? This is also the release build so I am less curious about what it can be and more of what it is.

Semi-related but not really, are there any space-sim style games with RPG elements? I'm less interested in an actual simulation but something like Freelancer with an RPG system would make me die of joy.

Hmmmmmm...space sims typically don't have that. The closest I can think of are Freelancer and Galaxy on Fire II HD, where your "level" increases with either your amount of money or kills, or both. The sense of progression usually comes from acquiring more money to acquire better ships and equipment. Jumpgate had something similar to this, but the levels dictated which ships and equipment you could buy on your own, so it was something of a hybrid. Starshatter has a different sense of progression in that you raise in rank based on completed missions and such, and can eventually command capital ships and fleets.

Other, more linear sims have a sense of progression based on the story itself, such as raising in ranks and such.

It's typically not sims that have this kind of RPG play, but more top-down games like Space Rangers, Drox Operative or Smugglers, for example. SR and Drox are exceptional examples of space RPG play, in my opinion. The Star Wolves series does well at this too, as pilots gain levels and skills as they progress.

I bought Endless Space during the last Steam Sale. I've really been enjoying it and have definitely fallen prey to the "just one more turn" phenomenon but I did have a few minor complaints. From the 2 games I've played I get no sense of personality for the various cultures like I did from a game like MOO. I really, really don't like the manual ship combat as it's basically just pick a card for 1 of 3 rounds of combat and see if it helps. After running a few manual encounters I've played everything else on auto as I never saw a force with even slightly less combat power win against an enemy with higher combat power. I've also been completely blind-sided by culture specific victory conditions that I had no inkling was even in the works so it seems like I'll have to play every game as a sprint to the fastest possible victory condition instead of just building up my empire or building alliances. On the plus side, I've had a far, far easier time playing a pascifist style game on Endless Space than I could've every hoped for in games like MOO, Civ or GalCiv. In my last game I think it lasted for close to a couple hundred turns and I think I had 3 fights the entire time, twice against pirates that were blockading one of my planets and once, by accident, against a United Empire scout ship right before I established contact with them.

Dark Star One might have what you're looking for. You pick up special orb things that level up your ship and allow you to pick abilities from a Diablo-style skill tree. You are tied to one ship throughout the game, but you have a bit of customization with it. The game isn't amazing, but it's not terrible, either. I need to go back and finish it eventually.

"We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." - Thomas Jefferson